Printing and identification device



Jan. 16, 1951 l.. E. voGT PRINTING AND IDENTIFICATION DEVICE Filed Oct. 2l, 1947 Patented Jan. 16, 1951 PRINTING AND IDENTIFCATION DEVICE Lucien'E. Vogt, West Roxbury, Mass., assignor to Farrington Manufacturing Company, Boston, Massi., a corporation of Massachusetts Application (bctober 21, 1947, Serial No. 781,036

This invention relates to printing devices and more particularly to an improved printing device of the type having a thin metallic plate embossed to provide printing type comprising a name and address and the like and having an identification sheet or card associated therewith, the printing device being usually carried in the pocket, billfold or purse of a traveler for use in connection with credit transactions arising in the course of travel or shopping.

One object oi the present invention is to provide a printing device of the character described which is of strong and durable construction eliminating the chance of inadvertent or accidental detachment of the identification sheet from the printing plate. prior art devices which seriously weaken the identication sheet, the present device strengthens and provides a maximum support for the sheet to minimize the dangers oi bending and distortion n attendant to carrying the device in a pocket, billfold or purse. f

Another object oi the invention is to provide a printing device of the character described which is of a permanent, compact and smooth construction so that it may readily be carried in the pocket or purse without causing an unsightly and unattractive bulge and without any tendency to catch and to become entangled with other objects inthe pocket or purse.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a printing deviceof the character described which is simple and economical in construction, which is convenient and reliable in use and which is attractive in appearance.

According to the present invention the printing device comprises a sheet'carrying identiiicaton indicia and having itsY side edges adjacent one end each formed with a recess terminating short of adjacent corners of the sheet, and a printing plate superposed on one face of the sheet at the said one end, the plate having side and end anges, the ends of the side flanges terminating in spaced relation to the adjacent corners of the plate and the lengths of said side ilanges respectively corresponding to the lengths of the recesses, said flanges being bent inwardly into engagement with marginal portions of the opposite face of said sheet, the intermediate portions of the side langes being seated in said recesses in engagement with the recessed side edges ci the sheet thereby to constitute a positive interlock preventing both longitudinal and transverse movement of said plate relative to said sheet. Preferably one end and the side edges of the sheet adjacent At the same time, in contrast to 2 Claims. (Cl. lOl-369) the said one end'are each formed with a recess terminating short of the adjacent corners of the sheet, the ends of the side and end flanges of the plate terminating in spaced relation to the adja-v cent corners of the plate, the lengths of said flanges respectively corresponding to the lengths of the recesses, the intermediate portions of the flanges being seated in said recesses in engage-f ment with the recessed end and side edges ofthe sheet.

In a more specific aspect the recesses in the side edges of the sheet terminate short of adjacent corners of the sheet to provide a projecting shoulder at Yeach of said adjacent corners, the ends of the side flanges terminating in spaced relation to the adjacent corners of the plate corresponding to the spacing between the ends of said recesses and the adjacent corners of said sheet, the intermediate portions of the side flanges being seated in said recesses and the ends of the portions of the side anges within the recess being in engagement with the projecting Ashoulders at the adjacent corners of the sheet.

In another aspect the recesses in the end and side edges of the sheet terminate short of adjacent corners of the sheet to provide projecting shoulders at each of said adjacent corners, the intermediate portions of the side and end flanges being seated in said recesses and the ends of the portions of the flanges within the recesses being in engagement with the projecting shoulders at the corners of the sheet.

In a still more specific aspect the sheet combines a stiilly resilient elongate piece of sheet material and an elongate printing plate is superposed on one face of the sheet at the said one end with its longitudinal axis normal to the longitudinal axis of the sheet, the end and side edges of the plate being in registry with the unrecessed edges of the end and side edges ofthe sheet respectively, said flanges being bent inwardly into engagement with marginal portions of the opposite face of said sheet, the intermediate portions of the flanges being seated in the recesses and in engagement with the recessed end and side edges of said sheet permanently to maintain the end and side- Fig. 2 is a plan View of the rear face of the embodiment of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the rear face of the printing plate of the embodiment of Fig. 1 disassembled frorn the identication sheet; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of one end of the front face of the identification sheet of the embodiment of Fig. 1 disassembledfrom the printing plate.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I represents an elongate sheet preferably of stiiliy resilient sheet material and here shown, by way of example, as comprising two layers 2 and 3 of transparent plastic sheet material having corresponding edges in registry and a sheet 4 of paper interposed between said layers and having its corresponding edges spacedv inwardly from thel registering edges of said layers, the marginal portions of the layers being adhesively integrated to seal the sheet 4 between said layers and within the confines of said marginal prtions.

The side edges 5 and 6 and end 1 of the sheet I are. formed adjacent one end of the sheet with recesses 8, 9 and I0, respectively, theA recesses terminating short of adjacent corners II and I2, as shown in Fig. 5, to provide projecting shoulders I3, I4, I 5 and I6 at the said adjacent corners ofthe sheet.

A printing plate I9 comprising a thin elongate metallic plate has its front face embossed to form printing type characters comprising, by way oi"v example, the name, business afliation and identification number of John Doe. The plate is superposed on the front face 2I of the sheet adjacent the said one end with its longitudinal axis normal to the longitudinal axis of the sheet, the end 22 and side edges 23 and 24 of theV plate being in registry with the unrecessed edgesY of the end 1 and side edges 5 and 6 of the sheet I, respectively.

TheY plate I9 is further provided with. side flanges 25 and 26 and end ange 21, the endsl of the anges terminating in spaced relation to adjacent corners 28 and29 of the platecorresponding to the spacing between the ends of the recesses 8, 9 and I0 and the adjacent corners Il and I2 of the sheet I. The lengths of the flanges respectively correspond to the lengths of said. recesses and are inwardly bent, as shown inrFigs. 2 and 3, into engagement with the marginal portions of the opposite face 30.0f the sheet, the intermediate portions of the anges'r 25, 26 and. 21 being seated in the recesses 8, 9 and I8, respectively. The portions ofthe flanges within therecesses engage the recessed edges of' the end and side edges 5, 6 and 1 of the sheet, respectively, and the ends of the portions of theV anges within the recesses engage the projecting shoulders I3, I4, I5 and I6 at the adjacent corners of the sheet, thereby to constitute a positive interlock preventing both longitudinal andA transverse movement of the plate relative to the `sheet permanently to maintain the end and side edges of the plate in registry with the unrecessed edges of the end and side edges of the sheet. It is further evident from the foregoing that thezprinting plate I9 in no way weakens the sheet I but, on the contrary, substantially stiifens and provides additional support for the sheet. to prevent accidental bending or distortion thereof.

As shown in Fig. 1, the portion ofV the front face of the paper sheet 4 which is exposed to view carries printed and written identication indicia thereon here shown, by wayI of. example..astheV printed name, business affiliation and identification number of John Doe and his written signature. It is further contemplated that other appropriate indicia as for example limitations or restrictions on the use of the device in credit transactions may be printed on the opposite face of the paper sheet 4.

To assemble the printing device for use the appropriately embossed printing plate I8, having its side flanges 25 and 26 and its end flange 21 still in the plane of the plate, is superposed at'. the said end of an appropriately printed and signed sheet with the end and side edges 22, 23 and 24 of the plate in registry with the unrecessed end and side edges 1, 5 and 6 of the sheet, respectively. The flanges are then bent inwardly into engagement with the marginal portions of the opposite face 30 of the sheet, thereby causing the intermediate portions of the flanges to seat in the recesses I0, 8 and 9, respectively, the portions of the anges within the recesses engaging the recessed edges of the end and side edges of the sheet, and the ends of the portions of the flanges within the recesses engaging the projecting shoulders I3, I4, I5 and I6 at adjacent corners of the sheet.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A printing device comprising a rigidprinting plate having embossed identication indicia on its front face, an elongate relatively flexible sheet carrying at least corresponding identification indicia visible from its front face and spaced from one end, the`said one end and the side edges adjacent the said one end of the sheet each being formed with a recess terminating short of` adjacent corners of the sheet, the printing plate,

being superposed on the front face of the sheet at the said one end only and the remaining portion of the sheet being unsupported by the plate and extending outwardly from beneath one end of the plate to expose to viewsaid identification indicia visible from they front face of the sheet, the printing plate having flanges at its sides and its opposite end, the ends of the anges terminating in spaced relation to the adjacent corners of the plate, the lengths of said flanges respectively corresponding to the lengths of the recesses, said flanges being bent inwardly into engagement with marginal portions of the opposite face of said sheet, the intermediate portions of the flanges being seated in said recesses in engagement with the recessed side edges and end of the sheet, thereby to strengthen the sides and the said one end of the sheet and to constitute a positive interlock preventing convex buckling and longitudinal and transverse movement of the sheet relative to the plate.

2. A printing device comprising a rigid printing plate having embossed identiication indicia on its front face, an elongate relatively flexible sheet carrying indicia visible from its front face and spaced from one end, the side edges adjacent the said one end of the sheet each being formed with a recess terminating short of adjacent corners of the sheet, the printing plate being superposed on the front face of the sheet at the said one end only and the remaining portion of they sheet being unsupported by the plate and extending'outwardlyk from beneath one end of the plate. ste expose. to view said indicia visible from ther 5 front face ofthe sheet, the printing plate having anges at its sides and its opposite end, the ends of the side flanges terminating in spaced relation to the adjacent corners of the plate, the lengths of said side flanges respectively corresponding to the lengths of the recesses, said side flanges and end flanges being bent inwardly into engagement with marginal portions of the opposite face of said sheet, the intermediate portions of the side anges being seated in said recesses in engagement with the recessed side edges of the sheet, thereby to strengthen the sides and the said one end of the sheet and to constitute a positive interlock preventing convex buckling and longitudinal and transverse movement of the sheet relative to the plate.

LUCIEN E. VOGT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 708,628 Elliott Sept. 9, 1902 822,354 Duncan June 5, 1906 1,288,395 Duncan Dec. 17, 1918 1,627,398 Magnus May 3, 1927 1,812,889 McCain July 7, 1931 1,818,830 Van Dusen Aug. 11, 1931 1,899,072 Anthony Feb. 28, 1933 1,912,437 Dugdale June 6, 1933 2,039,074 Farrington Apr. 28, 1936 2,047,200 Gollwitzer July 14, 1936 

